From Hormuz to Lebanon, crisis reverberates through trade routes, upending humanitarian networks

© WHO/Hanan Balkhy In Gaza displaced families are living in overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters, surrounded by waste and debris, with limited access to safe water and sanitation services.

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to send shockwaves through global food systems, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned, as a widening crisis across the Middle East continues to strain humanitarian operations and deepen instability.

Addressing the agency’s governing body in Rome on Tuesday, Director-General Qu Dongyu said the closure of key maritime routes is disrupting energy supplies, fertilizer flows and agricultural inputs, with potentially far-reaching consequences.

“Peace and stability are prerequisites for food security, and the right to food is a basic human right,” he stressed.

The Strait of Hormuz – a vital chokepoint for global trade – normally carries roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil, alongside significant volumes of natural gas and fertilizers.

But ship traffic has collapsed by almost 95 per cent since late February, delaying millions of tonnes of fertilizer shipments and driving sharp price increases.

“The crop calendar is central to understanding the urgency of the fertilizer crisis,” Mr. Qu warned, noting that delays in supply could result in permanent losses in agricultural production.

The FAO chief said the crisis is already pushing up food prices, squeezing farmers’ margins and threatening to deepen hunger, particularly in import-dependent countries.

Lebanon and Yemen are among those most at risk, with hundreds of thousands already facing acute food insecurity.

Diplomatic efforts continue

At the same time, UN efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis continue.

The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, has been engaging with regional governments following visits to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt, as well as participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye.

The envoy “remains available to support all efforts” to help the parties reach a comprehensive settlement, including the ongoing initiative pursued Pakistan in cooperation with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

Gaza and West Bank alarm continues

Meanwhile, in the Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari warned ministers and ambassadors that “away from the spotlight, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is steadily worsening.”

He said Gaza’s population continues to face “ongoing and deadly Israeli strikes and dire humanitarian conditions,” while in the West Bank, escalating violence, displacement and settlement activity are “threatening entire communities and further eroding the prospects for a political process” based on a two-State solution.

According to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, an 18-hour Israeli operation in and around Qalandiya Camp in the West Bank involved large-scale searches, detentions and movement restrictions, resulting in injuries, property damage and temporary displacement. Access to schools, clinics and ambulance services was also disrupted.

In Gaza, UN agencies and humanitarian partners continue to operate under severe constraints. While some support is getting through, only 296 of the 683 health service points (hospitals, field hospitals and primary healthcare centres) are functioning – and only 23 fully operational.

Between 20 April and last Sunday, 104 patients were medically evacuated through the Rafah crossing.

Lebanon crisis persists

In Lebanon, the situation remains precarious despite a ceasefire with Israel.

Nearly 115,000 people are still sheltering in collective sites, and many others remain displaced or unable to return home due to ongoing restrictions in parts of the south.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), six hospitals and dozens of primary healthcare centres remain closed, with nearly 150 attacks on healthcare recorded since early March.

UN Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plaschaert has been engaging with Israeli officials to promote stability along the Blue Line, stressing the need to “end recurring cycles of violence and pave the way toward lasting stability,” according to UN Spokesperson Dujarric.

“We and our partners are delivering assistance where we can,” he said, noting that about 130 partners are providing assistance, including shelter, healthcare and clean water, but access constraints and infrastructure damage continue to hamper efforts.

Global ripple effects

Beyond the immediate region, the crisis is reverberating across global supply chains, a new dashboard by the UN trade and development body (UNCTAD) shows.

As maritime routes remain squeezed, countries are increasingly turning to land corridors to keep goods moving. The UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) has launched an online observatory to help coordinate cross-border transport across the Gulf region.

The platform provides real-time information on border crossings and customs procedures as governments shift to overland routes for food, medicines and other essential supplies.

“At the meeting this morning, it was stressed that transport routes between Turkey and the Gulf take approximately four days, which is much shorter than by sea,” said ECE’s Jean Rodriguez, noting that bottlenecks remain in truck availability, drivers and visa issues.

Traffic has shifted to key land corridors, including routes linking Türkiye and Gulf States and across Saudi Arabia, with container volumes through Jeddah port having risen sharply.